Episode 118: Christy Clark-Pujara, The Business of Slavery in Rhode Island

by Liz CovartJanuary 24, 2017

Play episode

How did the smallest colony and smallest state in the union became the largest American participant in the slave trade?

Christy Clark-Pujara, an Assistant Professor in the Department of African-American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of Dark Work: The Business of Slavery in Rhode Island, joins us to explore the history of Rhode Island and New England’s involvement with slavery.

About the Show

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Each episode features a conversation with a historian who helps us shed light on important people and events in early American history.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Christy Clark-Pujara, an Assistant Professor in the African-American Studies Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of Dark Work: The Business of Slavery in Rhode Island, joins us to explore the history of Rhode Island and its intimate involvement with slavery.

During our exploration, Christy reveals what the business of slavery was and how it differed from the institution of slavery; How Rhode Island became involved with slavery and the slave trade; And what life was like for free and enslaved African Americans in Rhode Island.

What You’ll Discover

The business of slavery and how it differs from the institution of slavery
The early history of Rhode Island
How Rhode Island became involved with slavery and the slave trade
Transition from Native American slavery to African slavery
Work enslaved Rhode Islander’s performed
Daily life of Rhode Island slaves
How Rhode Island came to participate in the slave trade
The American Revolution in Rhode Island
Why African Americans and slaves volunteered for the First Rhode Island regiment during the War for Independence
Rhode Island’s simultaneous post-revolutionary commitment to emancipation and the business of slavery
Life in Rhode Island for free African Americans
Free African Americans’ interactions with the business of slavery
The Free African Union Society
The Dorr Rebellion
Commemorating Rhode Island and northern participation in slavery

Links to People, Places, and Publications

Sponsor Links

Complementary Episodes

Time Warp Question

In your opinion, what might have happened if Rhode Island had found a different way to enrich her economy than by participating in the slave trade? How would the history and development of slavery in North America and the United States have been different?